Random notes: April 18, 2013.

NYT headline:

Gun Control Effort Had No Real Chance, Despite Pleas

(I am still thinking about fisking the NYT Internet sales piece, but I’ve been tied up and haven’t had a chance. I might get to it tonight, if I decide to go through with it.)

The NYT is reporting that Kim Lene Williams, who was arrested yesterday and charged in the Kaufman County DA killings, is rolling on her husband.

According to an affidavit filed by the authorities, Ms. Williams confessed to her involvement in the shootings in an interview with investigators on Tuesday, and told them that her husband had been the one who shot Mr. Hasse in January and Mr. McLelland and his wife in March.
During her interview, she supplied investigators with details of both shootings that had not been made public. One law enforcement official confirmed that Ms. Williams was not a gunman in the murders, but had been the driver, and had also used the storage unit where Mr. Williams had kept a car and more than 20 guns.

I Am Not A Lawyer, but this did get me to wondering. Rule 504 of the Texas Rules of Evidence covers spousal privilege:

In a criminal case, the spouse of the accused has a privilege not to be called as a witness for the state. This rule does not prohibit the spouse from testifying voluntarily for the state, even over objection by the accused. A spouse who testifies on behalf of an accused is subject to cross-examination as provided in rule 611(b).

So she doesn’t have to testify against her husband, but she can if she wants to. And it sounds like she will, especially since she apparently wasn’t the actual trigger puller and can probably make a deal. (It sounds like whatever deal she does make will end up with her dying in prison, since the paper of record reports she’s 46 years old and has chronic health problems.)

One Response to “Random notes: April 18, 2013.”

  1. […] Take a look at this Jennifer Steinhauer piece from yesterday explaining that gun control never really had a chance. “They were no match for the reason Democrats have avoided gun control fights for years: a combination of the political anxiety of vulnerable Democrats from conservative states, deep-seated Republican resistance and the enduring clout of the National Rifle Association.” That’s a long-winded way of saying “Voters.” (Hat tip: Dwight.) […]